Lot Essay
Portrait of a Man was painted by Jean-Franois Millet during the early 1840s, and probably represents a friend of the artist or a member of the local elite in either Cherbourg or Le Havre on the Normandy coast.
After he left the cole des Beaux-Arts in 1839, Millet's first attempts to establish himself as a professional artist were centered on portraiture. In 1840-41, he returned to Cherbourg, the coastal city nearest his rural home, and tried to build a clientele among the merchants and naval officers in the regional capital. To the straightforward likenesses expected by his provincial patrons, Millet added a measure of Parisian elegance. With strong lighting and soft, earth-colored backgrounds, he brought out unexpected nuances in the sober black costumes favored by his sitters and with small accessories like the stick-pin and chain in Portrait of a Man, he exploited every opportunity for painterly invention. In 1845, Millet moved briefly to the larger community of Le Havre, and Portrait of a Man may have been painted in either city.
Millet used the "F. Millet" signature throughout the early 1840s, reflecting his family's preference for his middle name, Franois. Only back in Paris at the end of the decade did he settle on the more familiar "J.F. Millet" form.
We are grateful to Alexandra R. Murphy for her assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
After he left the cole des Beaux-Arts in 1839, Millet's first attempts to establish himself as a professional artist were centered on portraiture. In 1840-41, he returned to Cherbourg, the coastal city nearest his rural home, and tried to build a clientele among the merchants and naval officers in the regional capital. To the straightforward likenesses expected by his provincial patrons, Millet added a measure of Parisian elegance. With strong lighting and soft, earth-colored backgrounds, he brought out unexpected nuances in the sober black costumes favored by his sitters and with small accessories like the stick-pin and chain in Portrait of a Man, he exploited every opportunity for painterly invention. In 1845, Millet moved briefly to the larger community of Le Havre, and Portrait of a Man may have been painted in either city.
Millet used the "F. Millet" signature throughout the early 1840s, reflecting his family's preference for his middle name, Franois. Only back in Paris at the end of the decade did he settle on the more familiar "J.F. Millet" form.
We are grateful to Alexandra R. Murphy for her assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.